NASCAR Star Takes On Social Media Heat For Breastfeeding Tweet

Political uprisings and worldwide protests aren't the only topics that have taken Twitter by storm in 2011. This past year also saw the rise of celebrity apology tweets and Facebook posts. A perfect example came about on Wednesday after NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne tweeted about his distaste for public breastfeeding. He posted, “Just walking though supermarket. See a mom breast feeding little kid. Took second look because obviously I was seeing things. I wasn’t!” A prompt response he received from one of his followers, who happens to be a mother, set the social stream on fire. Kahne replied to her by calling her a "dumb b--ch." This has not gone over very well with the Internets.

A few hours after Kahne's tweets, he posted an apology on his Facebook page. He wrote the following statement:
I understand that my comments regarding breastfeeding posted on Twitter were offensive to some people. For that, I apologize. It was in no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breast feeding children. I want to make that clear.

In all honestly, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store. I shared that reaction with my fans on Twitter. It obviously wasn’t the correct approach, and, after reading your feedback, I now have a better understanding of why my posts upset some of you.

My comments were not directed at the mother’s right to breastfeed. They were just a reaction to the location of that choice, and the fashion in which it was executed on that occasion.

I respect the mother’s right to feed her child whenever and wherever she pleases.

The post has already received more than 2,100 likes and nearly 3,000 comments. As for online commentary about the incident, reviews have been pretty mixed.